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LIBRARY 

Brigham  Young  University 


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THE  HEAVENLY   LIFE 


J?1v. 


Cije^eabenlpi^ife 


BY 

JAMES    ALLEN 


Author  of 
it 


As  a  Man  Thinketh^'  etc^  etc. 


New  York  and  Boston 

H.   M.  Caldwell  Company 

Publishers 


THE  LIBRARY 

BRIGHAM  YOUNG  UNIVERSITY 

PROVO.  UTAH 


CONTENTS 


PAGK 

The  Divine  Centre 9 

The  Eternal  Now 18 

The   "Original    Simplicity" 25 

The  Unfailing  Wisdom 32 

The  Might  of  Meekness 40 

The  Righteous   Man 49 

Perfect  Love  53 

Perfect  Freedom   60 

Greatness  and  Goodness 65 

Heaven  in  the  Heart 74 


THE  HEAVENLY   LIFE 


THE  HEAVENLY  LIFE 

THE  DIVINE  CENTEE 

The  secret  of  life,  of  abundant  life,  with  its 
strength,  its  felicity,  and  its  unbroken  peace  is 
to  find  the  Divine  Centre  within  oneself,  and  to 
live  in  and  from  that,  instead  of  in  that  outer 
circumference  of  disturbances — the  clamors, 
cravings,  and  argumentations  which  make  up 
the  animal  and  intellectual  man.  These  selfish 
elements  constitute  the  mere  husks  of  life,  and 
must  be  thrown  away  by  him  who  would  pene- 
trate to  the  Central  Heart  of  things — to  Life 
itself. 

l^ot  to  know  that  within  you  that  is  change 
less,  and  defiant  of  time  and  death,  is  not  to 
know  anything,  but  is  to  play  vainly  with  un- 
substantial reflections  in  the  Mirror  of  Time. 

Not  to  find  within  you  those  passionless  Prin- 

9 


10  The  Heavenly  Life 

ciples  which  are  not  moved  by  the  strifes  and 
shows  and  vanities  of  the  world,  is  to  find  noth- 
ing but  illusions  which  vanish  as  they  are 
grasped. 

He  who  resolves  that  he  will  not  rest  satisfied 
with  appearances,  shadows,  illusions  shall,  by 
the  piercing  light  of  that  resolve,  disperse  every 
fieeting  phantasy,  and  shall  enter  into  the  sub- 
stance and  reality  of  life.  He  shall  learn  how 
to  live,  and  he  shall  live.  He  shall  be  the  slave 
of  no  passion,  the  servant  of  no  opinion,  the 
votary  of  no  fond  error.  Finding  the  Divine 
Centre  within  his  own  heart,  he  will  be  pure 
and  calm  and  strong  and  wise,  and  will  cease- 
lessly radiate  the  Heavenly  Life  in  which  he 
lives — which  is  himself. 

Having  betaken  himself  to  the  Divine  Refuge 
within,  and  remaining  there,  a  man  is  free  from 
sin.  All  his  yesterdays  are  as  the  tide-washed 
and  untrodden  sands;  no  sin  shall  rise  up 
against  him  to  torment  and  accuse  him  and  de- 
stroy his  sacred  peace ;  the  fires  of  remorse  can- 
not scorch  him,  nor  can  the  storms  of  regret 


The  Heavenly  Life  11 

devastate  his  dwelling-place.  His  to-morrows 
are  as  seeds  which  shall  germinate,  bursting 
into  beauty  and  potency  of  life,  and  no  doubt 
shall  shake  his  trust,  no  uncertainty  rob  him  of 
repose.  The  Resent  is  his,  only  in  the  immor- 
tal Present  does  he  live,  and  it  is  as  the  eternal 
vault  of  blue  above  which  looks  down  silently 
and  calmly,  yet  radiant  with  purity  and  light, 
upon  the  upturned  and  tear-stained  faces  of  the 
centuries. 

Men  love  their  desires,  for  gratification  seems 
sweet  to  them,  but  its  end  is  pain  and  vacuity; 
they  love  the  argumentations  of  the  intellect,  for 
egotism  seems  most  desirable  to  them,  but  the 
fruits  thereof  are  humiliation  and  sorrow. 
When  the  soul  has  reached  the  end  of  gratifica- 
tion and  reaped  the  bitter  fruits  of  egotism,  it  is 
ready  to  receive  the  Divine  Wisdom  and  to 
enter  into  the  Divine  Life.     Only  the  crucified 


can  be  transfigured;  only  by  the  death  of  self 
can  the  Lord  of  the  heart  rise  again  into  thja^ 
Immortal  Life^   and  stand  radiant  upon  the 
Olivet  of  Wisdom. 


12  The  Heavenly  Life 

Thou  hast  thy  trials?  Every  outward  trial 
is  the  replica  of  an  inward  imperfection.  Thou 
shalt  grow  wise  by  knowing  this,  and  shalt 
thereby  transmute  trial  into  active  joy,  finding 
the  Kingdom  where  trial  cannot  come.  When 
wilt  thou  learn  thy  lessons,  O  child  of  earth  1 
All  thy  sorrows  cry  out  against  thee ;  every  pain 
is  thy  just  accuser,  and  thy  griefs  are  but  the 
shadows  of  thy  unworthy  and  perishable  self. 
The  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  thine;  how  long 
wilt  thou  reject  it,  preferring  the  lurid  atmo- 
sphere of  Hell — the  hell  of  thy  self-seeking 
self? 

Where  self  is  not  there  is  the  Garden  of  the 
Heavenly  Life,  and 

"There  spring  the  healing  streams 

Quenching    all    thirst!    there    bloom    the    immortal 
flowers 
Carpeting  all  the  way  with  joy!  there  throng 
Swiftest  and  sweetest  hours!*' 

The  redeemed  sons  of  God,  the  glorified  in  body 
and  spirit,  are  ^^bought  with  a  price,''  and  that 
price  is  the  crucifixion  of  the  personality,  the 


The  Heavenly  Life  .  13 

death  of  self ;  and  having  put  away  that  within 
which  is  the  source  of  all  discord,  they  have 
found  the  universal  Music,  the  abiding  Joy. 

Life  is  more  than  motion,  it  is  Music;  more 
than  rest,  it  is  Peace;  more  than  work,  it  is 
Duty;  more  than  labor,  it  is  Love;  more  than 
enjoyment,  it  is  Blessedness ;  more  than  acquir- 
ing money  and  position  and  reputation,  it  is 
Knowledge,  Purpose,  strong  and  high  Resolve. 

Let  the  impure  turn  to  Purity,  and  they  shall 
be  pure;  let  the  weak  resort  to  Strength,  and 
they  shall  be  strong;  let  the  ignorant  fly  to 
Knowledge,  and  they  shall  be  wise.  All  things 
are  man's,  and  he  chooses  that  which  he  will 
have.  To-day  he  chooses  in  ignorance,  to-mor- 
row he  shall  choose  in  Wisdom.  He  shall  ^Svork 
out  his  own  salvation''  whether  he  believe  it  or 
not,  for  he  cannot  escape  himself,  nor  transfer 
to  another  the  eternal  responsibility  of  his  own 
soul.  Ev  no  theolofyjcal  subterfuge  shall  hp 
trick  the  Law  of  his  being,  which  shall.  sJxatter 
all  his  selfish  makeshifts  and  excuses  for  right 


thinking  and  right  doing.    Nor  shall  God  do  for 


14  The  Heavenly  Life 

him  that  which  it  is  destined  his  soul  shall  ac- 
complish for  itself.  What  would  you  say  of  a 
man  who,  wanting  to  possess  a  mansion  in  which 
to  dwell  peacefully,  purchased  the  site  and  then 
knelt  down  and  asked  God  to  build  the  house 
for  him  ?  Would  you  not  say  that  such  a  man 
was  foolish  ?  And  of  another  man  who,  having 
purchased  the  land,  set  the  architects  and  build- 
ers and  carpenters  at  work  to  erect  the  edifice, 
would  you  not  say  that  he  was  wise  ?  And  as 
it  is  in  the  building  of  a  material  house,  even 
so  it  is  in  the  building  of  a  spiritual  mansion. 
Brick  by  brick,  pure  thought  upon  pure  thought, 
good  deed  upon  good  deed,  must  the  habitation 
of  a  blameless  life  rise  from  its  sure  foundation 
until  at  last  it  stands  out  in  all  the  majesty  of 
its  faultless  proportions.  Not  by  caprice,  nor 
gift,  nor  favor  does  a  man  obtain  the  spiritual 
realities,  but  by  diligence,  watchfulness,  energy, 
and  effort. 

"Strong  is  the  soul,  and  wise  and  beautiful; 
The  seeds  of  God-like  power  are  in  us  still; 
Gods  are  we,  bards,  saints,  heroes,  if  we  will." 


The  Heavenly  Life  15 

The  spiritual  Heart  of  man  is  the  Heart  of 
the  universe,  and,  finding  that  Heart,  man  finds 
the  strength  to  accomplish  all  things.  He  finds 
there  also  the  Wisdom  to  see  things  as  they  are. 
He  finds  there  the  Peace  that  is  divine.  At  the 
centre  of  man's  being  is  the  Music  which  orders 
the  stars — the  Eternal  Harmony.  He  v^ho 
would  find  Blessedness,  let  him  find  himself; 
let  him  abandon  every  discordant  desire,  every 
inharmonious  thought,  every  unlovely  habit  and 
deed,  and  he  will  find  that  Grace  and  Beauty 
and  Harmony  which  form  the  indestructible 
essence  of  his  own  being. 

Men  fly  from  creed  to  creed,  and  find — un- 
rest ;  they  travel  in  many  lands,  and  discover — 
disappointment ;  they  build  themselves  beautiful 
mansions,  and  plant  pleasant  gardens,  and  reap 
— ennui  and  discomfort.  Not  until  a  man  falls 
back  upon  the  Truth  within  himself  does  he  find 
rest  and  satisfaction;  not  until  he  builds  the 
inward  Mansion  of  Faultless  Conduct  does  he 
find  the  endless  and  incorruptible  Joy,  and,  hav- 


16  The  Heavenly  Life 

ing  obtained  that,  he  will  infuse  it  into  all  his 
outward  doings  and  possessions. 

If  a  man  would  have  peace,  let  him  exercise 
the  spirit  of  Peace;  if  he  Avould  find  love,  let 
him  dwell  in  the  spirit  of  Love;  if  he  wquld^ 
escape  suffering,  let  him  cease  to  inflict  itQf  he 
would  do  noble  things  for  humanity,  let  him 
cease  to  do  ignoble  things  for  himself.  If  he 
will  but  quarry  the  mine  of  his  own  soul,  he 
shall  find  there  all  the  materials  for  building 
whatsoever  he  will,  and  he  shall  find  there  also 
the  central  Rock  on  which  to  build  in  safety. 

Howsoever  a  man  works  to  right  the  world,  it 
will  never  be  righted  until  he  has  put  himself 
right.  This  may  be  written  upon  the  heart  as  a 
mathematical  axiom.  It  is  not  enough  to  preach 
Purity,  men  must  cease  from  lust ;  to  exhort  to 
love,  they  must  abandon  hatred;  to  extol  self- 
sacrifice,  they  must  yield  up  self ;  to  adorn  with 
mere  words  the  Perfect  Life,  they  must  he 
perfect. 

When  a  man  can  no  longer  carry  the  weight 
of  his  many  sins,  let  him  fly  to  the  Christ,  whose 


The  Heavenly  Life  17 

throne  is  the  centre  of  his  own  heart,  and  he 
shall  become  light-hearted,  entering  the  glad 
company  of  the  Immortals. 

When  he  can  no  longer  bear  the  burden  of  his 
accumulated  learning,  let  a  man  leave  his  books, 
his  science,  his  philosophy,  and  come  back  to 
himself,  and  he  shall  find  within,  that  which  he 
outwardly  sought  and  found  not — his  own 
divinity. 

He  ceases  to  argue  about  God  who  has  found 
God  within.  Eelying  upon  that  calm  strength 
which  is  not  the  strength  of  self,  he  lives  God, 
manifesting  in  his  daily  life  the  Highest  Good- 
ness, which  is  Eternal  Life. 


18  The  Heavenly  Life 


THE  ETERNAL  NOW 

Now  IS  the  reality  in  which  time  is  contained. 
It  is  more  and  greater  than  time ;  it  is  an  ever- 
present  reality.  It  knows  neither  past  nor 
future,  and  is  eternally  potent  and  substantial. 
Every  minute,  every  day,  every  year  is  a  dream 
as  soon  as  it  has  passed,  and  exists  only  as  an 
imperfect  and  unsubstantial  picture  in  the 
memory,  if  it  be  not  entirely  obliterated. 

Past  and  future  are  dreams ;  now  is  a  reality. 
All  things  are  now ;  all  power,  all  possibility,  all 
action  is  now.  Not  to  act  and  accomplish  now 
is  not  to  act  and  accomplish  at  all.  To  live  in 
thoughts  of  what  you  might  have  done,  or  in 
dreams  of  what  you  mean  to  do,  this  is  folly; 
but  to  put  away  regret,  to  anchor  anticipation, 
and  to  do  and  to  work  now,  this  is  wisdom. 

Whilst  a  man  is  dwelling  upon  the  past  or 
future  he  is  missing  the  present;  he  is  forget- 


The  Heavenly  Life  19 

ting  to  live  now.  All  things  are  possible  now, 
and  only  now.  Without  wisdom  to  guide  him, 
and  mistaking  the  unreal  for  the  real,  a  man 
says,  "If  I  had  done  so  and  so  last  week,  last 
month,  or  last  year,  it  would  have  been  better 
with  me  to-day";  or,  "I  know  what  is  best  to 
be  done,  and  I  will  do  it  to-morrow."  The  selfish 
cannot  comprehend  the  vast  importance  and 
value  of  the  present,  and  fail  to  see  it  as  the 
substantial  reality  of  which  past  and  future  are 
the  empty  reflections.  It  may  truly  be  said 
that  past  and  future  do  not  exist  except  as  nega- 
tive shadows,  and  to  live  in  them — that  is,  in 
the  regretful  and  selfish  contemplation  of  them 
— is  to  miss  the  reality  in  life. 

"The  Present,  the  Present  is  all  thou  hast 

For  thy  sure  possessing; 

Like  the  patriarch's  angel,  hold  it  fast, 
Till  it  gives  its  blessing. 

"All  which  is  real  now  remaineth, 

And  f adeth  never : 
The  hand  which  upholds  it  now  sustaineth 
The  soul  for  ever. 


20  The  Heavenly  Life 

"Then  of  what  is  to  be,  and  of  what  is  done, 

Why  queriest  thou? 
The  past  and  the  time  to  be  are  one, 
And  both  are  NOW!" 

Man  has  all  power  now;  but  not  knowing 
this,  he  says,  "I  will  be  perfect  next  year ,  oi 
in  so  many  years,  or  in  so  many  lives."  The 
dwellers  in  the  Kingdom  of  God,  who  live  only 
in  the  now,  say,  ^^I  am  perfect  now,"  and  re- 
fraining from  all  sin  now,  and  ceaselessly 
guarding  the  portals  of  the  mind,  not  looking 
to  the  past  nor  to  the  future,  nor  turning  to  the 
left  or  right,  they  remain  eternally  holy  and 
blessed.  ^^Now  is  the  accepted  time ;  now  is  the 
day  of  salvation.'^ 

Say  to  yourself,  "I  will  live  in  my  Ideal  now ; 
I  will  manifest  my  Ideal  now;  I  will  be  my 
Ideal  now;  and  all  that  tempts  me  away  from 
my  Ideal  I  will  not  listen  to ;  I  will  listen  only 
to  the  voice  of  my  Ideal."  Thus  resolving,  and 
thus  doing,  you  shall  not  depart  from  the  High- 
est, and  shall  eternally  manifest  the  True. 


The  Heavenly  Life  21 

"Afoot  and  lighthearted,  I  take  to  the  open  road. 
Henceforth  I  ask  not  good  fortune :  I  myself  am  good 

fortune. 
Henceforth  I  whimper  no  more,  postpone  no  more, 

need  nothing; 
Done    with    indoor    complaints,    libraries,    querulous 

criticisms. 
Strong  and  content,  I  take  to  the  open  road." 

Cease  to  tread  every  byway  of  dependence, 
every  winding  side-way  that  tempts  thy  soul 
into  the  shadow-land  of  the  past  and  the  future, 
and  manifest  thy  native  and  divine  strength 
now.     Come  out  into  ^^the  open  road." 

That  which  you  would  be,  and  hope  to  be, 
you  may  be  now.  Non-accomplishment  resides 
in  your  perpetual  postponement,  and,  having 
the  power  to  postpone,  you  also  have  the  power 
to  accomplish — to  perpetually  accomplish:  real- 
ize this  truth,  and  you  shall  be  to-day,  and  every 
day,  the  ideal  man  of  whom  you  dreamed. 

Virtue  consists  in  fighting  sin  day  after  day, 
but  holiness  consists  in  leaving  sin,  unnoticed 
and  ignored,  to  die  by  the  wayside ;  and  this  is 
done,  can  only  be  done,  in  the  living  now.    Say 


22  The  Heavenly  Life 

act  unto  thy  soul,  "Thou  shalt  be  purer  to-mor- 
row" ;  but  rather  say,  "Thou  shalt  be  pure  now." 
To-morrow  is  too  late  for  anything,  and  he  who 
sees  his  help  and  salvation  in  to-morrow  shall 
continually  fail  and  fall  to-day. 

Thou  didst  fall  yesterday  ?  Didst  sin  griev- 
ously ?  Having  realized  this,  leave  it  instantly 
and  for  ever,  and  watch  that  thou  sinnest  not 
now.  The  while  thou  art  bewailing  the  past 
every  gate  of  thy  soul  remains  unguarded 
against  the  entrance  of  sin  now.  Thou  shalt 
not  rise  by  grieving  over  the  irremediable  past, 
but  by  remedying  the  present. 

The  foolish  man,  loving  the  boggy  sidepath 
of  procrastination  rather  than  the  firm  High- 
way of  Present  Effort,  says,  "I  will  rise  early 
to-morrow;  I  will  get  out  of  debt  to-morrow;  I 
will  carry  out  my  intentions  to-morrow."  But 
the  wise  man,  realizing  the  momentous  import 
of  the  Eternal  Now,  rises  early  to-day;  keeps 
out  of  debt  to-day;  carries  out  his  intentions 
to-day;  and  so  never  departs  from  strength  and 
peace  and  ripe  accomplishment, 


The  Heavenly  Life  23 

That  which  is  done  now  remains ;  that  which 
is  to  be  done  to-morrow  does  not  appear.  It  is 
wisdom  to  leave  that  which  has  not  arrived, 
and  to  attend  to  that  which  is;  and  to  attend 
to  it  with  such  a  consecration  of  soul  and  con- 
centration of  effort  as  shall  leave  no  possible 
loophole  for  regret  to  creep  in. 

A  man's  spiritual  comprehension  being 
clouded  by  the  illusions  of  self,  he  says,  "I  was 
born  on  such  a  day,  so  many  years  ago,  and  shall 
die  at  my  allotted  time."  But  he  was  not  born, 
neither  will  he  die,  for  how  can  that  which  is 
immortal,  which  eternally  is,  be  subject  to  birth 
and  death?  Let  a  man  throw  off  his  illusions, 
and  then  he  will  see  that  the  birth  and  death  of 
the  hody  are  the  mere  incidents  of  a  journey^ 
and  not  its  beginning  and  end. 

Looking  back  to  happy  beginnings,  and  for- 
ward to  mournful  endings,  a  man's  eyes  are 
blinded,  so  that  he  beholds  not  his  own  immor- 
tality; his  ears  are  closed,  so  that  he  hears  not 
the  ever-present  harmonies  of  Joy ;  and  his  heart 


24'  The  Heavenly  Life 

is   hardened,   so   that   it  pulsates   not  to  the 
rhythmic  sounds  of  Peace. 

The  universe,  with  all  that  it  contains,  is  now. 
Put  out  thy  hand,  O  man,  and  receive  the  fruits 
of  Wisdom!  Cease  from  thy  greedy  striving, 
thy  selfish  sorrowing,  thy  foolish  regretting, 
and  be  content  to  live.  Act  now,  and,  lo!  all 
things  are  done;  live  now,  and,  behold!  thou 
art  in  the  midst  of  Plenty;  he  now,  and  know 
that  thou  art  perfect. 


The  Heavenly  Life  25 


THE  ^^OEIGINAL  SIMPLICITY" 

Life  is  simple.  Being  is  simple.  The  uni- 
verse is  simple.  Complexity  arises  in  ignorance 
and  self-delusion.  The  ^^Original  Simplicity" 
of  Lao-tze  is  a  term  expressive  of  the  universe 
as  it  is,  and  not  as  it  appears.  Looking  through 
the  woven  network  of  his  own  illusions,  man 
sees  interminable  complication  and  unfathom- 
able mystery,  and  so  loses  himself  in  the  laby- 
rinths of  his  own  making.  Let  a  man  put  away 
egotism,  and  he  will  see  the  universe  in  all  the 
beauty  of  its  pristine  simplicity.  Let  him  anni- 
hilate the  delusion  of  the  personal  "ly^  and  he 
will  destroy  all  the  illusions  which  spring  from 
that  "I."  He  will  thus  "re-become  a  little 
child/'  and  will  "revert  to  Original  Simplic- 
ity." 

When  a  man  succeeds  in  entirely  forgetting 
(annihilating)  his  personal  self,  he  becomes  a 


26  The  Heavenly  Life 

mirror  in  which  the  universal  Reality  is  fault- 
lessly reflected.  He  is  awakened,  and  hence- 
forward he  lives,  not  in  dreams,  but  realities. 

Pythagoras  saw  the  universe  in  the  ten  num- 
bers, but  even  this  simplicity  may  be  further 
reduced,  and  the  universe  ultimately  be  found 
to  be  contained  in  the  number  ONE,  for  all  the 
numerals  and  all  their  infinite  complications  are 
but  additions  of  the  One. 

Let  life  cease  to  be  lived  as  a  fragmentary 
thing,  and  let  it  be  lived  as  a  perfect  Whole; 
the  simplicity  of  the  Perfect  will  then  be  re- 
vealed. How  shall  the  fragment  comprehend 
the  Whole?  Yet  how  simple  that  the  Whole 
should  comprehend  the  fragment.  How  shall 
sin  perceive  Holiness  ?  Yet  how  plain  that 
Holiness  should  understand  sin.  He  who  would 
become  the  Greater  let  him  abandon  the  lesser. 
In  no  form  is  the  circle  contained,  but  in  the 
circle  all  forms  are  contained.  In  no  color  is 
the  radiant  light  imprisoned,  but  in  the  radiant 
light  all  colors  are  embodied.  Let  a  man  de- 
stroy aJl  the  forms  of  self,  and  he  shall  appre- 


The  Heavenly  Life  27 

hend  the  Circle  of  Perfection;  let  him  sub- 
merge, in  the  silent  depths  of  his  being,  the 
varying  colors  of  his  thoughts  and  desires,  and 
he  shall  be  illuminated  with  the  White  Light 
of  Divine  Knowledge.  In  the  perfect  chord  of 
music  the  single  note,  though  forgotten,  is  in- 
dispensably contained,  and  the  drop  of  water 
becomes  of  supreme  usefulness  by  losing  itself 
in  the  ocean.  Sink  thyself  compassionately  in 
the  heart  of  humanity,  and  thou  shalt  repro- 
duce the  harmonies  of  Heaven;  lose  thyself  in 
unlimited  love  toward  all,  and  thou  shalt  work 
enduring  works  and  shalt  become  one  with  the 
eternal  Ocean  of  Bliss. 

Man  evolves  outward  to  the  periphery  of  com- 
plexity, and  then  involves  backward  to  the  Cen- 
tral Simplicity.  When  a  man  discovers  that  it 
is  mathematically  impossible  for  him  to  know 
the  universe  before  knowing  himself,  he  then 
starts  upon  the  Way  which  leads  to  the  Origi- 
nal Simplicity.  He  begins  to  unfold  from 
within,  and  as  he  unfolds  himself,  he  enfolds 
the  universe. 


!28  The  Heavenly  Life 

Cease  to  speculate  about  God,  and  find  the 
all-embracing  Good  within  thee,  then  shalt  thou 
see  the  emptiness  and  vanity  of  speculation, 
knowing  thyself  one  with  God. 

He  who  will  not  give  up  his  secret  lust,  his 
covetousness,  his  anger,  his  opinion  about  this 
or  that,  can  see  nor  know  nothing;  he  will  re- 
main a  dullard  in  the  school  of  Wisdom,  though 
he  be  accounted  learned  in  the  colleges. 

If  a  man  would  find  the  Key  of  Knowledge, 
let  him  find  himself.  Thy  sins  are  not  thyself ; 
they  are  not  any  part  of  thyself;  they  are  dis- 
eases which  thou  hast  come  to  love.  Cease  to 
cling  to  them,  and  they  will  no  longer  cling  to 
thee.  Let  them  fall  away,  and  thy  self  shall 
stand  revealed.  Thou  shalt  then  know  thyself 
as  Comprehensive  Vision,  Invincible  Principle, 
Immortal  Life,  and  Eternal  Good. 

The  impure  man  believes  impurity  to  be  his 
rightful  condition,  but  the  pure  man  knows 
himself  as  pure  being;  he  also,  penetrating  the 
Veils,  sees  all  others  as  pure  being.  Purity  is 
extremely  simple,   and  needs  no  argument  to 


?^ 


103485 

The  Heavenly  Life  29 

support  it;  impurity  is  interminably  complex, 
and  is  ever  involved  in  defensive  argument. 
Truth  lives  itself.  A  blameless  life  is  the  only 
witness  of  Truth.  Men  cannot  see,  and  will  not 
accept  the  witness  until  they  find  it  within 
themselves ;  and  having  found  it,  a  man  becomes 
silent  before  his  fellows.  Truth  is  so  simple 
thkt  it  cannot  be  found  in  the  region  of  argu- 
ment and  advertisement,  and  so  silent  that  it  is 
only  manifested  in  actions. 

So  extremely  simple  is  Original  Simplicity, 
that  a  man  must  let  go  his  hold  of  everything 
before  he  can  perceive  it.  The  great  arch  is 
strong  by  virtue  of  the  hollowness  underneath, 
and  a  wise  man  becomes  strong  and  invincible 
by  emptying  himself. 

Meekness,  Patience,  Love,  Compassion,  and 
Wisdom — these  are  the  dominant  qualities  of 
Original  Simplicity;  therefore  the  imperfect 
cannot  understand  it.  Wisdom  only  can  appre- 
hend Wisdom,  therefore  the  fool  says,  "'^o  man 
is  wise."  The  imperfect  man  says,  "^o  man 
can  be  perfect,"  and  he  therefore  remains  where 


30  The  Heavenly  Life 

he  is.  Though  he  live  with  a  perfect  man  all 
his  life,  he  shall  not  behold  his  perfection. 
Meekness  he  will  call  cowardice;  Patience, 
Love,  and  Compassion  he  will  see  as  weakness ; 
and  Wisdom  will  appear  to  him  as  folly.  Fault- 
less discrimination  belongs  to  the  Perfect  Whole, 
and  resides  not  in  any  part,  therefore  men  are 
exhorted  to  refrain  from  judgment  until  they 
have  themselves  manifested  the  Perfect  Life. 

Arriving  at  Original  Simplicity,  opacity  dis- 
appears, and  the  universal  transparency  be- 
comes apparent.  He  who  has  found  the  in- 
dwelling Reality  of  his  own  being  has  found 
the  original  and  universal  Reality.  Knowing 
the  Divine  Heart  within,  all  hearts  are  known, 
and  the  thoughts  of  all  men  become  his  who  has 
become  the  master  of  his  own  thoughts;  there- 
fore the  good  man  does  not  defend  himself,  but 
moulds  the  minds  of  others  to  his  own  likeness. 

As  the  problematical  transcends  crudity,  so 
Pure  Goodness  transcends  the  problematical. 
All  problems  vanish  when  Pure  Goodness  is 
reached ;  therefore  the  good  man  is  called  "The 


The  Heavenly  Life  31 

slayer  of  illusions/'  What  problem  can  vex 
where  sin  is  not?  0  thou  who  strivest  loudly 
and  restest  not!  retire  into  the  holy  silence  of 
thine  own  being,  and  live  therefrom.  So  shalt 
thou,  finding  Pure  Goodness,  rend  in  twain  the 
Veil  of  the  Temple  of  Illusion,  and  shalt  enter 
in,to  the  Patience,  Peace,  and  transcendent 
Glory  of  the  Perfect,  for  Pure  Goodness  and 
Original  Simplicity  are  one. 


32  The  Heavenly  Life 


THE  UNFAILING  WISDOM 

A  man  should  be  superior  to  his  possessions, 
his  body,  his  circumstances  and  surroundings, 
and  the  opinions  of  others  and  their  attitude 
towards  him.  Until  he  is  this,  he  is  not  strong 
and  steadfast.  He  should  also  rise  superior  to 
his  own  desires  and  opinions;  and  until  he  is 
this,  he  is  not  wise. 

The  man  who  identifies  himself  with  his  pos- 
sessions will  feel  that  all  is  lost  when  these  are 
lost ;  he  who  regards  himself  as  the  outcome  and 
the  tool  of  circumstances  will  weakly  fluctuate 
with  every  change  in  his  outward  condition; 
and  great  will  be  his  unrest  and  pain  who  seeks 
to  stand  upon  the  approbation  of  others. 

To  detach  oneself  from  every  outward  thing, 
and  to  rest  securely  upon  the  inward  Virtue, 
this  is  the  Unfailing  Wisdom.  Having  this 
Wisdom,  a  man  will  be  the  same  whether  in 


The  Heavenly  Life  33 

riches  or  poverty.  The  one  cannot  add  to  his 
strength,  nor  the  other  rob  him  of  his  serenity. 
Neither  can  riches  defile  him  who  has  washed 


away  all  the  inward  defilement,  nor  the  lack  of 
them  degrade  him  who  has  ceased  to  degra^ 
the  temple  of  his  soul. 


To  refuse  to  be  enslaved  by  any  outward 
thing  or  happening,  regarding  all  such  things 
and  happenings  as  for  your  use,  for  your  educa- 
tion, this  is  Wisdom.  To  the  wise  all  occur- 
rences are  good,  and,  having  no  eye  for  evil, 
they  grow  wiser  every  day.  They  utilize  all 
things,  and  thus  put  all  things  under  their  feet. 
They  see  all  their  mistakes  as  soon  as  made,  and 
accept  them  as  lessons  of  intrinsic  value,  know- 
ing that  there  are  no  mistakes  in  the  Divine 
Order.  They  thus  rapidly  approach  the  Divine 
Perfection.  They  are  moved  by  none,  yet  learn 
from  all.  They  crave  love  from  none,  yet  give 
love  to  all.  To  learn,  and  not  to  be  shaken;  to 
love  where  one  is  not  loved;  herein  lies  the 
strength  which  shall  never  fail  a  man.  The  man 
who  says  in  his  heart,  ^^I  will  teach  all  men,  and 


34  The  Heavenly  Life 

learn  from  none/'  will  neither  teach  nor  learn 
whilst  he  is  in  that  frame  of  mind,  but  will 
remain  in  his  folly. 

All  strength  and  wisdom  and  power  and 
knowledge  a  man  will  find  within  himself,  but 
he  will  not  find  it  in  egotism ;  he  will  only  find 
it  in  obedience,  submission,  and  willingness  to 
learn.  He  must  obey  the  Higher,  and  not  glor- 
ify himself  in  the  lower.  He  who  stands  upon 
egotism,  rejecting  reproof,  instruction,  and  the 
lessons  of  experience,  will  surely  fall;  yea,  he 
is  already  fallen.  Said  a  great  Teacher  to  his 
disciples,  ^^Those  who  shall  be  a  lamp  unto 
themselves,  relying  upon  themselves  only,  and 
not  relying  upon  any  external  help,  but  holding 
fast  to  the  Truth  as  their  lamp,  and,  seeking 
their  salvation  in  the  Truth  alone,  shall  not  look 
for  assistance  to  any  besides  themselves,  it  is 
they  among  my  disciples  who  shall  reach  the 
very  topmost  height !  But  they  must  be  willing 
to  learn/'  The  wise  man  is  always  anxious  to 
learn^^^bgt  never  anjdous  to  teach^for  heJ^TiowA 
that-tha-lrue  Teacher  isin  the^  heart  of  eveiji; 


The  Heavenly  Life  35 

man,  and  must  ultimately  be  found  there  by  all. 
The  foolish  man,  being  governed  largely  by 
vanity,  is  very  anxious  to  teach,  but  unwilling 
to  learn,  not  having  found  the  Holy  Teacher 
within  who  speaks  wisdom  to  the  humbly  listen- 
ing soul.  Be  self-reliant,  but  let  thy  self-re- 
liance be  saintly  and  not  selfish. 

Folly  and  wisdom,  weakness  and  strength 
are  within  a  man,  and  not  in  any  external  thing, 
neither  do  they  spring  from  any  external  cause. 
'A  man  cannot  be  strong  for  another,  he  can 
only  be  strong  for  himself ;  he  cannot  overcome 
for  another,  he  can  only  overcome  of  himself. 
lYou  may  learn  of  another,  but  you  must  ac- 
complish for  yourself.  Put  away  all  external 
props,  and  rely  upon  the  Truth  within  you.  A 
creed  will  not  bear  a  man  up  in  the  hour  of 
temptation ;  he  must  possess  the  inward  Knowl- 
edge which  slays  temptation.  A  speculative 
philosophy  will  prove  a  shadowy  thing  in  the 
time  of  calamity ;  a  man  must  have  the  inward 
Wisdom  which  puts  an  end  to  grief  • 

Goodness,  which  is  the  aim  of  all  religions, 


86  The  Heavenly  Life 

is  distinct  from  religions  themselves.  Wisdom, 
which  is  the  aim  of  every  philosophy,  is  dis- 
tinct from  all  philosophies.  The  Unfailing 
Wisdom  is  found  only  by  constant  practice  in 
pure  thinking  and  well-doing;  by  harmonizing 
one's  mind  and  heart  to  those  things  which  are 
beautiful,  lovable,  and  true. 

In  whatever  condition  a  man  finds  himself, 
he  can  always  find  the  True ;  and  he  can  find  it 
only  by  so  utilizing  his  present  condition  as  to 
become  strong  and  wise.  The  effeminate  han- 
kering after  rewards,  and  the  craven  fear  of 
punishment,  let  them  be  put  away  for  ever,  and 
let  a  man  joyfully  bend  himself  to  the  faithful 
performance  of  all  his  duties,  forgetting  him- 
self and  his  worthless  pleasures,  and  living 
strong  and  pure  and  self-contained;  so  shall  he 
surely  find  the  Unfailing  Wisdom,  the  God- 
like Patience  and  strength.  ^^The  situation  that 
has  not  its  Duty,  its  Ideal,  was  never  yet  occu- 
pied by  man.  .  .  .  Here  or  nowhere  is  thy 
Ideal.  Work  it  out  therefrom,  and,  working, 
believe,  live,  be  free.     The  Ideal  is  in  thyself. 


The  Heavenly  Life  Zt 

the  impediment,  too,  is  in  thyself;  thy  condi- 
tion is  but  the  stuff  thou  art  to  shape  that  same 
Ideal  out  of.  What  matters  whether  such  stuff 
be  of  this  sort  or  that,  so  the  form  thou  give 
it  be  heroic,  be  poetic  ?  Oh,  thou  that  pinest  in 
the  imprisonment  of  the  Actual,  and  criest  bit- 
terly to  the  gods  for  a  kingdom  wherein  to  rule 
and  create,  know  this  of  a  truth :  the  thing  thou 
seekest  is  already  within  thee,  here  and  now, 
couldest  thou  only  see !" 

All  that  is  beautiful  and  blessed  is  in  thyself, 
not  in  thy  neighbor's  wealth.  Thou  art  poor? 
Thou  art  poor  indeed  if  thou  art  not  stronger 
than  thy  poverty!  Thou  hast  suffered  calami- 
ties ?  Well,  wilt  thou  cure  calamity  by  adding 
anxiety  to  it  ?  Canst  thou  mend  a  broken  vase 
by  weeping  over  it,  or  restore  a  lost  delight  by 
thy  lamentations  ?  There  is  no  evil  but  will 
vanish  if  thou  wilt  wisely  meet  it.  The  God- 
like soul  does  not  grieve  over  that  which  has 
been,  is,  or  will  be,  but  perpetually  finds  the 
Divine  Good,  and  gains  wisdom  by  every  occur- 
rence. 


38  The  Heavenly  Life 

Fear  is  the  shadow  of  selfishness,  and  cannot 
live  where  loving  Wisdom  is.  Doubt,  anxiety, 
and  worry  are  unsubstantial  shades  in  the  un- 
derworld of  self,  and  shall  no  more  trouble  him 
who  will  climb  the  serene  altitudes  of  his  soul. 
Grief,  also,  will  be  for  ever  dispelled  by  him 
who  will  comprehend  the  Law  of  his  being.  He 
who  so  comprehends  shall  find  the  Supreme  Law 
of  Life,  and  he  shall  find  that  it  is  Love,  that 
it  is  imperishable  Love.  He  shall  become  one 
with  that  Love,  and  loving  all,  with  mind  freed 
from  all  hatred  and  folly,  he  shall  receive  the 
invincible  protection  which  Love  affords. 
Claiming  nothing,  he  shall  suffer  no  loss;  seek- 
ing no  pleasure,  he  shall  find  no  grief ;  and  em- 
ploying all  his  powers  as  instruments  of  service, 
he  shall  evermore  live  in  the  highest  state  of 
blessedness  and  bliss. 

Know  this : — thou  makest  and  unmakest  thy- 
self 5  thou  standest  and  f  allest  by  what  thou  art. 
Thou  art  a  slave  if  thou  preferrest  to  be;  thou 
art  a  master  if  thou  wilt  make  thyself  one. 
Build  upon  thy  animal  desires  and  intellectual 


The  Heavenly  Life  39 

opinions,  and  thou  buildest  upon  the  sand ;  build 
upon  Virtue  and  Holiness,  and  no  wind  nor  tide 
shall  shake  thy  strong  abode.  So  shall  the  Un- 
failing Wisdom  uphold  thee  in  every  emer- 
gency, and  the  Everlasting  Arms  gather  thee  to 
thy  peace. 

"Lay  up  each  year 
Thy  harvest  of  well-doing,  wealth  that  kings 
Nor  thieves  can  take  away.    When  all  the  things 
Thou  callest  thine,  goods,  pleasures,  honors  fall, 
Thou  in  thy  virtue  shalt  survive  them  all." 


46  The  Heavenly  Life 


THE  MIGHT  OF  MEEKNESS 

The  mountain  bends  not  to  the  fiercest  storm, 
but  it  shields  the  fledgling  and  the  lamb;  and 
though  all  men  tread  upon  it,  yet  it  protects 
them,  and  bears  them  up  upon  its  deathless 
bosom.  Even  so  is  it  with  the  meek  man  who, 
though  shaken  and  disturbed  by  none,  yet  com- 
passionately bends  to  shield  the  lowliest  crea- 
ture, and,  though  he  may  be  despised,  lifts  all 
men  up,  and  lovingly  protects  them. 

As  glorious  as  the  mountain  in  its  silent 
might  is  the  divine  man  in  his  silent  Meekness ; 
like  its  form,  his  loving  comparison  is  expan- 
sive and  sublime.  Truly  his  body,  like  the 
mountain's  base,  is  fixed  in  the  valleys  and  the 
mists;  but  the  summit  of  his  being  is  eternally 
bathed  in  cloudless  glory,  and  lives  with  the 
Silences. 

He  who  has  found  Meekness  has  found  divin- 


The  Heavenly  Life  ^1 

ity;  he  has  realized  the  divine  consciousness, 
and  knows  himself  as  divine.  He  also  knows  all 
others  as  divine,  though  they  know  it  not  them- 
selves, being  asleep  and  dreaming.  Meekness 
is  a  divine  quality,  and  as  such  is  all-powerful. 
The  meek  man  overcomes  by  not  resisting,  and 
by  allowing  himself  to  be  defeated  he  attains 
to  the  Supreme  Conquest. 

The  man  who  conquers  another  by  force  is 
strong ;  the  man  who  conquers  himself  by  Meek- 
ness is  mighty.  He  who  conquers  another  by 
force  will  himself  likewise  be  conquered;  he 
who  conquers  himself  by  Meekness  will  never  be 
overthrown,  for  the  human  cannot  overcome  the 
divine.  The  meek  man  is  triumphant  in  defeat. 
Socrates  lives  the  more  by  being  put  to  death; 
in  the  crucified  Jesus  the  risen  Christ  is  re- 
vealed, and  Stephen  in  receiving  his  stoning 
defies  the  hurting  power  of  stones.  That  which 
is  real  cannot  be  destroyed,  but  only  that  which 
is  unreal.  When  a  man  finds  that  within 
him  which  is  real,  which  is  constant,  abiding, 
changeless,    and   eternal,    he   enters    into   that 


42  The  Heavenly  Life 

Reality,  and  becomes  meek.  All  the  powers  of 
darkness  will  come  against  him,  but  they  will 
do  him  no  hurt,  and  will  at  last  depart  from 
him. 

The  meek  man  Is  found  In  the  time  of  trial ; 
when  other  men  fall  he  stands.  His  patience 
is  not  destroyed  by  the  foolish  passions  of  others, 
and  when  they  come  against  him  he  does  not 
^ ^strive  nor  cry.''  He  knows  the  utter  powerless- 
ness  of  all  evil,  having  overcome  it  in  himself, 
and  lives  in  the  changeless  strength  and  power 
of  divine  Good. 

Meekness  is  one  aspect  of  the  operation  of 
that  changeless  Love  which  is  at  the  Heart  of 
all  things,  and  is  therefore  an  imperishable 
quality.  He  who  lives  in  it  is  without  fear, 
knowing  the  Highest,  and  having  the  lowest 
under  his  feet. 

The  meek  man  shines  in  darkness,  and  flour- 
ishes in  obscurity.  Meekness  cannot  boast,  nor 
advertise  itself,  nor  thrive  on  popularity.  It  is 
practised,  and  is  seen  or  not  seen ;  being  a  spir- 
itual quality  it  is  perceived  only  by  the  eye  of 


The  Heavenly  Life  43" 

the  spirit.  Those  who  are  not  spiritually  awak- 
ened see  it  not,  nor  do  they  love  it,  being 
enamored  of,  and  blinded  by,  worldly  shows  and 
appearances.  Nor  does  history  take  note  of  the 
meek  man.  Its  glory  is  that  of  strife  and  self- 
aggrandizement ;  his  is  the  glory  of  peace  and 
gentleness.  History  chronicles  the  earthly,  not 
the  heavenly  acts.  Yet  though  he  lives  in  ob- 
scurity he  cannot  be  hidden  (how  can  light  be 
hid?)  ;  he  continues  to  shine  after  he  has  with- 
drawn himself  from  the  world,  and  is  wor- 
shipped by  the  world  which  knew  him  not. 

That  the  meek  man  should  be  neglected, 
abused,  or  misunderstood  is  reckoned  by  him  as 
of  no  account,  and  therefore  not  to  be  consid- 
ered, much  less  resisted.  He  knows  that  all  such 
weapons  are  the  flimsiest  and  most  ineffectual 
of  shadows.  To  them,  therefore,  who  give  him 
evil  he  gives  good.  He  resists  none,  and  thereby 
conquers  all. 

He  who  imagines  he  can  be  injured  by  others, 
and  who  seeks  to  justify  and  defend  himself 
against  them,  does  not  understand   Meekness, 


44  The  Heavenly  Life 

does  not  comprehend  the  essence  and  meaning 
of  lifcc  "He  abused  me,  he  beat  me,  he  de- 
feated me,  he  robbed  me. — In  those  who  harbor 
such  thoughts  hatred  will  never  cease  .  .  .  for 
hatred  ceases  not  by  hatred  at  any  time ;  hatred 
ceases  by  love/'  What  sayest  thou,  thy  neigh- 
bor has  spoken  thee  falsely?  Well,  what  of 
that  ?  Can  a  falsity  hurt  thee  ?  That  which  is 
false  is  false,  and  there  is  an  end  of  it.  It  is 
without  life,  and  without  power  to  hurt  any  but 
him  who  seeks  to  hurt  by  it.  It  is  nothing  to 
thee  that  thy  neighbor  should  speak  falsely  of 
thee,  but  it  is  much  to  thee  that  thou  shouldst 
resist  him,  and  seek  to  justify  thyself,  for,  by  so 
doing,  thou  givest  life  and  vitality  to  thy  neigh- 
bor's falseness,  so  that  thou  art  injured  and 
distressed.  Take  all  evil  out  of  thine  own 
heart,  then  shalt  thou  see  the  folly  of  resisting 
it  in  another.  Thou  wilt  be  trodden  on  ?  Thou 
art  trodden  on  already  if  thou  thinkest  thus. 
The  injury  that  thou  seest  as  coming  from  an- 
other comes  only  from  thyself.  The  wrong 
thought,  or  word,  or  act  of  another  has  no  power 


The  Heavenly  Life  45 

to  hurt  thee  unless  thou  galvanize  it  into  life 
by  thy  passionate  resistance,  and  so  receivest  it 
into  thyself.  If  any  man  slander  me,  that  is  his 
concern,  not  mine.  I  have  to  do  with  my  own 
soul,  not  with  my  neighbor's.  Though  all  the 
world  misjudge  me,  it  is  no  business  of  mine; 
but  that  I  should  possess  my  soul  in  Purity  and 
Love,  that  is  all  my  business.  There  shall  be 
no  end  to  strife  until  men  cease  to  justify  them- 
selves. He  who  would  have  wars  cease  let  him 
cease  to  defend  any  party — let  him  cease  to  de- 
fend himself,  l^oi  by  strife  can  peace  come, 
but  by  ceasing  from  strife.  The  glory  of 
Caesar  resides  in  the  resistance  of  his  enemies. 
They  resist  and  fall.  Give  to  Caesar  that  which 
Caesar  demands,  and  Caesar's  glory  and  power 
are  gone.  Thus,  by  submission  does  the  meek 
man  conquer  the  strong  man ;  but  it  is  not  that 
outward  show  of  submission  which  is  slavery, 
it  is  that  inward  and  spiritual  submission  which 
is  freedom. 

Claiming  no  rights,   the   meek  man  is   not 
troubled  with  self-defence  and  self -justification ; 


46  The  Heavenly  Life 

he  lives  in  love^  and  therefore  comes  under  the 
immediate  and  vital  protection  of  the  Great 
Love  which  is  the  Eternal  Law  of  the  universe. 
He  neither  claims  nor  seeks  his  own;  thus  do 
all  things  come  to  him,  and  all  the  universe 
shields  and  protects  him. 

He  who  says,  ^^I  have  tried  Meekness,  and 
it  has  failed/'  has  not  tried  Meekness.  It  can- 
not be  tried  as  an  experiment.  It  is  only  arrived 
at  by  unreserved  self-sacrifice.  Meekness  does 
not  consist  merely  in  non-resistance  in  action; 
it  consists  pre-eminently  in  non-resistance  in 
thought,  in  ceasing  to  hold  or  to  have  any  selfish, 
condemnatory,  or  retaliatory  thoughts.  The 
meek  man,  therefore,  cannot  ^^take  offence"  or 
have  his  ^^feelings  hurt,"  living  above  hatred, 
folly,  and  vanity.     Meekness  can  never  fail. 

O  thou  who  searchest  for  the  Heavenly  Life ! 
strive  after  Meekness ;  increase  thy  patience  and 
forbearance  day  by  day;  bid  thy  tongue  cease 
from  all  harsh  words ;  withdraw  thy  mind  from 
selfish  arguments,  and  refuse  to  brood  upon  thy 
wrongs :  so  living,  thou  shalt  carefully  tend  and 


The  Heavenly  Life  ^7 

cultivate  the  pure  and  delicate  flower  of  Meek- 
ness in  thy  hearty  until  at  last,  its  divine  sweet- 
ness and  purity  and  beauteous  perfection  shall 
be  revealed  to  thee,  and  thou  shalt  become  gen- 
tle, joyful,  and  strong.  Repine  not  that  thou 
art  surrounded  by  irritable  and  selfish  people; 
but  rather  rejoice  that  thou  art  so  favored  as 
to  have  thine  own  imperfections  revealed  to 
thee,  and  that  thou  art  so  placed  as  to  necessi- 
tate within  thee  a  constant  struggle  for  self- 
mastery  and  the  attainment  of  perfection.  The 
more  there  is  of  harshness  and  selfishness 
around  thee  the  greater  is  the  need  of  thy 
Meekness  and  love.  If  others  seek  to  wrong 
thee,  all  the  more  is  it  needful  that  thou  shouldst 
cease  from  all  wrong,  and  live  in  love ;  if  others 
preach  Meekness,  humility,  and  love,  and  do  not 
practise  these,  trouble  not,  nor  be  annoyed ;  but 
do  thou,  in  the  silence  of  thy  heart,  and  in  thy 
contact  with  others,  practise  these  things,  and 
they  shall  preach  themselves.  And  though  thou 
utter  no  declamatory  word,  and  stand  before  no 
gathered  audience,  thou  shalt  teach  the  whole 


48  The  Heavenly  Life 

world.  As  thou  becomest  meek,  thou  shalt  learn 
the  deepest  secrets  of  the  universe.  Nothing  is 
hidden  from  him  who  overcomes  himself.  Into 
the  cause  of  causes  shalt  thou  penetrate,  and 
lifting,  one  after  another,  every  veil  of  illusion, 
shalt  reach  at  last  the  inmost  Heart  of  Being. 
Thus  becoming  one  with  Life,  thou  shalt  know 
all  life,  and,  seeing  into  causes,  and  knowing 
realities,  thou  shalt  be  no  more  anxious  about 
thyself,  and  others,  and  the  world,  but  shalt  see 
that  all  things  that  are  are  engines  of  the  Great 
Law.  Canopied  with  gentleness,  thou  shalt 
bless  where  others  curse;  love  where  others 
hate;  forgive  where  others  condemn;  yield 
where  others  strive;  give  up  where  others 
grasp;  lose  where  others  gain.  And  in  their 
strength  they  shall  be  weak;  and  in  thy  weak- 
ness thou  shalt  be  strong ;  yea,  thou  shalt  might- 
ily prevail.  He  that  hath  not  unbroken  gentle- 
ness hath  not  Truth : 

"Therefore  when  Heaven  would  save  a  man,  it  enfolds 
him  with  gentleness." 


The  Heavenly  Life  49 


THE  EIGHTEOUS  MAN 

The  righteous  man  is  invincible.  ITo  enemy 
'  can  possibly  overcome  or  confound  him ;  and  he 
needs  no  other  protection  than  that  of  his  own 
integrity  and  holiness. 

As  it  is  impossible  for  evil  to  overcome  Good, 
so  the  righteous  man  can  never  be  brought  low 
by  the  unrighteous.  Slander,  envy,  hatred, 
malice  can  never  reach  him,  nor  cause  him  any 
suffering,  and  those  who  try  to  injure  him  only 
succeed  ultimately  in  bringing  ignominy  upon 
themselves. 

The  righteous  man,  having  nothing  to  hide, 
committing  no  acts  which  require  stealth,  and 
harboring  no  thoughts  and  desires  which  he 
would  not  like  others  to  know,  is  fearless  and 
unashamed.  His  step  is  firm,  his  body  upright, 
and  his  speech  direct  and  without  ambiguity. 
He  looks  evervbodv  in  the  face.     How  can  he 


50  The  Heavenly  Life 

fear  any  who  wrongs  none?  How  can  he  be 
ashamed  before  any  who  deceives  none?  And 
ceasing  from  all  wrong  he  can  never  be 
wronged;  ceasing  from  all  deceit  he  can  never 
be  deceived. 

The  righteous  man,  performing  all  his  duties 
with  scrupulous  diligence,  and  living  above  sin, 
is  invulnerable  at  every  point.  He  who  has 
slain  the  inward  enemies  of  virtue  can  never  be 
brought  low  by  any  outward  enemy;  neither 
does  he  need  to  seek  any  protection  against 
them,  righteousness  being  an  all-sufficient  pro- 
tection. 

The  unrighteous  man  is  vulnerable  at  almost 
every  point ;  living  in  his  passions,  the  slave  of 
prejudices,  impulses,  and  ill-formed  opinions, 
he  is  continually  suffering  (as  he  imagines)  at 
the  hands  of  others.  The  slanders,  attacks,  and 
accusations  of  others  cause  him  great  suffering 
because  they  have  a  basis  of  truth  in  himself; 
and  not  having  the  protection  of  righteousness, 
he  endeavors  to  justify  and  protect  himself  by 


The  Heavenly  Life  51 

resorting  to  retaliation  and  specious  argument, 
and  even  to  subterfuge  and  deceit. 

The  partially  righteous  man  is  vulnerable  at 
all  those  points  where  he  falls  short  of  righteous- 
ness, and  should  the  righteous  man  fall  from  his 
righteousness,  and  give  way  to  one  sin,  his  in- 
vincibility is  gone,  for  he  has  thereby  placed 
himself  where  attack  and  accusation  can  justly 
reach  and  injure  him,  because  he  has  first  in- 
jured himself. 

If  a  man  suffers  or  is  injured  through  the 
instrumentality  of  others,  let  him  look  to  him- 
self, and,  putting  aside  self-pity  and  self-de- 
fence, he  will  find  in  his  own  heart  the  source 
of  all  his  woe. 

No  evil  can  happen, to  the^  righteous  man  who 
has  cut  off  the  source'Y?f  evil,  in  "himself ;  living 
in  the  All-Good,  and'  a|>staini}i^l  fi^om  sin  in 
thought,  word,  abd  idWd;,  Vfhatev6r' happens  to 
him  is  good;  ueithe'r'p^vn' any  p'^njon,^^^^^^  or 
circumstance'  cause  him  sutf ering,  for  the 
tyranny  of  circumstance  is  utterly  destroyed 
for  him  who  has  broken  the  bonds  of  sin. 


52  The  Heavenly  Life 

The  suflFering,  the  sorrowing,  the  weary,  and 
broken-hearted  ever  seek  a  sorrowless  refuge, 
a  haven  of  perpetual  peace.  Let  such  fly  to  the 
refuge  of  the  righteous  life ;  let  them  come  now 
and  enter  the  haven  of  the  sinless  state,  for  sor- 
row cannot  overtake  the  righteous;  suffering 
cannot  reach  him  who  does  not  waste  in  self- 
seeking  his  spiritual  substance;  and  he  cannot 
be  afflicted  by  weariness  and  unrest  whose  heart 
is  at  peace  with  all. 


.      f    r       < 


<^'  '  c         ».        «. 

!«•        •      c      ♦     » 


The  Heavenly  Life  53 


PEKFECT  LOVE 

The  Children  of  Light,  who  abide  in  the 
Kingdom  of  Heaven,  see  the  universe,  and  all 
that  it  contains,  as  the  manifestation  of  one 
Law — the  Law  of  Love.  They  see  Love  as  the 
moulding,  sustaining,  protecting,  and  perfeciing 
Power  immanent  in  all  things  animate  and  in- 
animate. To  them  Love  is  not  merely  and  only 
a  rule  of  life,  it  is  the  Law  of  Life,  it  is  Life 
itself.  Knowing  this,  they  order  their  whole 
life  in  accordance  with  Love,  not  regarding  their 
own  personality.  By  thus  practising  obedience 
to  the  Highest,  to  divine  Love,  they  become  con- 
scious partakers  of  the  power  of  Love,  and  so 
arrive  at  perfect  Freedom  as  Masters  of  Des- 
tiny. 

The  universe  is  preserved  because  Love  is  at 
the  Heart  of  it.  Love  is  the  only  preservative 
power.     Whilst  there  is  hatred  in  the  heart  of 


54  The  Heavenly  Life 

man,  he  imagines  the  Law  to  be  cruel,  but  when 
his  heart  is  mellowed  by  Compassion  and  Love, 
he  perceives  that  the  Law  is  Infinite  Kindness. 
So  kind  is  the  Law  that  it  protects  man  against 
his  own  ignorance.  Man,  in  his  puny  efforts 
to  subvert  the  Law  by  attaching  undue  impor- 
tance to  his  own  little  personality,  brings  upon 
himself  such  trains  of  suffering  that  he  is  at 
last  compelled,  in  the  depth  of  his  afilictions,  to 
seek  for  Wisdom ;  and  finding  Wisdom,  he  finds 
Love,  and  knows  it  as  the  Law  of  his  being,  the 
Law  of  the  universe.  Love  does  not  punish ; 
man  punishes  himself  by  his  own  hatred;  by 
striving  to  preserve  evil  which  has  no  life  by 
which  to  preserve  itself,  and  by  trying  to  sub- 
vert Love,  which  can  neither  be  overcome  nor 
destroyed,  being  of  the  substance  of  Life.  When 
a  man  burns  himself,  does  he  accuse  the  fire? 
Therefore,  when  a  man  suffers,  let  him  look  for 
some  ignorance  or  disobedience  within  himself. 
Love  is  Perfect  Harmony,  pure  Bliss,  and 
contains,  therefore,  no  element  of  suffering. 
Let  a  man  think  no  thought  and  do  no  act  which 


The  Heavenly  Life  55 

is  not  in  accordance  with  pure  Love^  and  suf- 
fering shall  no  more  trouble  him.  If  a  man 
would  know  Love,  and  partake  of  its  undying 
bliss,  he  must  practise  it  in  his  heart;  he  must 
become  Love. 

Lie  who  always  acts  from  the  spirit  of  Love 
i'S  never  deserted,  is  never  left  in  a  dilemma  or 
difficulty,  for  Love  (impersonal  Love)  is  both 
Knowledge  and  Power.  He  who  has  learned 
how  to  Love  has  learned  how  to  master  every 
difficulty,  how  to  transmute  every  failure  into 
success,  how  to  clothe  every  event  and  condition 
in  garments  of  blessedness  and  beauty. 

The  way  to  Love  is  by  self-mastery,  and, 
travelling  that  way,  a  man  builds  himself  up 
in  Knowledge  as  he  proceeds.  Arriving  at 
Love,  he  enters  into  full  possession  of  body  and 
mind,  by  right  of  the  divine  Power  which  he 
has  earned. 

^Terfect  Love  casteth  out  fear.''  To  know 
Love  is  to  know  that  there  is  no  harmful  power 
in  the  whole  universe.  Even  sin  itself,  which 
the  worldly  and  unbelieving  imagine  is  so  im- 


56  The  Heavenly  Life  \ 

conquerable,  is  known  as  a  very  weak  and 
perishable  thing,  that  shrinks  away  and  disap- 
pears before  the  compelling  power  of  Good. 
Perfect  Love  is  perfect  Harmlessness.  And  he 
who  has  destroyed,  in  himself,  all  thoughts  of 
harm,  and  all  desire  to  harm,  receives  the  uni- 
versal protection,  and  knows  himself  to  be  in- 
vincible. 

Perfect  Love  is  perfect  Patience.  Anger 
and  irritability  cannot  dwell  with  it  nor  come 
near  it.  It  sweetens  every  bitter  occasion  with 
the  perfume  of  holiness,  and  transmutes  trial 
into  divine  strength.  Complaint  is  foreign  to 
it.  He  who  loves  bewails  nothing,  but  accepts 
all  things  and  conditions  as  heavenly  guests ;  he 
is  therefore  constantly  blessed,  and  sorrow  does 
not  overtake  him. 

Perfect  Love  is  perfect  Trust.  He  who  has 
destroyed  the  desire  to  grasp  can  never  be  trou- 
bled with  the  fear  of  loss.  Loss  and  gain  are 
alike  foreign  to  him.  Steadfastly  maintaining 
a  loving  attitude  of  mind  toward  all,  and  pur- 
suing, in  the  performance  of  his  duties,  a  con- 


The  Heavenly  Life  57 

stant  and  loving  activity,  Love  protects  him  and 
evermore  supplies  him  in  fullest  measure  with 
all  that  he  needs. 

Perfect  Love  is  perfect  Power.  The  wisely 
loving  heart  commands  without  exercising  any 
authority.  All  things  and  all  men  obey  him 
who  obeys  the  Highest.  He  thinks,  and  lo !  he 
has  already  accomplished!  He  speaks,  and  be- 
hold! a  world  hangs  upon  his  simple  utter- 
ances! He  has  harmonized  his  thoughts  with 
the  Imperishable  and  Unconquerable  Forces, 
and  for  him  weakness  and  uncertainty  are  no 
more.  His  every  thought  is  a  purpose;  his 
every  act  an  accomplishment;  he  moves  with 
the  Great  Law,  not  setting  his  puny  personal 
will  against  it,  and  he  thus  becomes  a  channel 
through  which  the  Divine  Power  can  flow  in 
unimpeded  and  beneficent  expression.  He  has 
thus  become  Power  itself. 

Perfect  Love  is  perfect  Wisdom.  The  man 
who  loves  all  is  the  man  who  knows  all.  Hav- 
ing thoroughly  learned  the  lessons  of  his  own 
heart,  he  knows  the  tasks  and  trials  of  other 


58  The  Heavenly  Life 

hearts,  and  adapts  himself  to  them  gently  and 
without  ostentation.     Love  illuminates  the  in- 
tellect; without  it  the  intellect  is  blind  and  cold 
and  lifeless.     Love  succeeds  where  tlie  intellect! 
fails;  sees  where  the  intellect  is  blind;  knows 
where  the  intellect  is  ignorant.     Reason  is  only 
completed  in  Love,  and  is  ultimately  absorbed 
in  it.     Love  is  the  Supreme  Reality  in  the  uni- 
verse, and  as  such  it  contains  all  Truth.     In- 
finite Tenderness  enfolds  and  cherishes  the  uni- 
verse;  therefore   is   the   wise   man   gentle   and 
childlike  and  tender-hearted.     He  sees  that  the 
one  thing  which  all  creatures  need  is  Love,  and 
he  gives  unstintingly.     He  knows  that  all  occa- 
sions require  the  adjusting  power  of  Love,  and 
he  ceases  from  harshness. 

To  the  eye  of  Love  all  things  are  revealed,  not 
as  an  infinity  of  complex  effects,  but  in  the  light 
of  Eternal  Principles,  out  of  which  spring  all 
causes  and  effects,  and  back  into  which  they 
return.  ^^God  is  Love" ;  therefore  than  Love 
there  is  nothing  more  perfect.  He  who  would 
find  pure  Knowledge  let  him  find  pure  Love. 


The  Heavenly  Life  59 

Perfect  Love  is  perfect  Peace.  He  who 
dwells  with  it  has  completed  his  pilgrimage  in 
the  underworld  of  sorrow.  With  mind  calm 
and  heart  at  rest,  he  has  banished  the  shadows 
of  grief,  and  knows  the  deathless  Life. 

If  thou  wouldst  perfect  thyself  in  Knowl- 
edge, perfect  thyself  in  Love.  If  thou  wouldst 
reach  the  Highest,  ceaselessly  cultivate  a  lov- 
ing and  compassionate  heart. 


60  The  Heavenly  Life 


PEKFECT  FKEEDOM 

There  is  no  bondage  in  the  Heavenly  Life. 
There  is  Perfect  Freedom.  This  is  its  great 
glory.  This  Supreme  Freedom  is  gained  only 
by  obedience.  He  who  obeys  the  Highest  co- 
operates with  the  Highest,  and  so  masters  every 
force  within  himself  and  every  condition  with- 
out. A  man  may  choose  the  lower  and  neglect 
the  Higher,  but  the  Higher  is  never  overcome 
by  the  lower :  herein  lies  the  revelation  of  Free- 
dom. Let  a  man  choose  the  Higher  and  aban- 
don the  lower;  he  shall  then  establish  himself 
as  an  Overcomer,  and  shall  realize  Perfect  Free- 
dom. 

To  give  the  reins  to  inclination  is  the  only 
slavery ;  to  conquer  oneself  is  the  only  freedom. 
The  slave  to  self  loves  his  chains,  and  will  not 
have  one  of  them  broken  for  fear  he  would  be 
depriving  himself  of  some  cherished  delight. 
He  clings  to  his  gratifications  and  vanities,  re- 


The  Heavenly  Life  61 

garding  freedom  from  them  as  an  empty  and 
undesirable  condition.  He  thus  defeats  and 
enslaves  himself. 

By  self-enlightenment  is  Perfect  Freedom 
found.  Whilst  a  man  remains  ignorant  of  him- 
self, of  his  desires,  of  his  emotions  and  thoughts, 
and  of  the  inward  causes  which  mould  his  life 
and  destiny,  having  neither  control  nor  under- 
standing of  himself,  he  will  remain  in  bondage 
to  passion,  sorrow,  suffering,  and  fluctuating 
fortune.  The  Land  of  Perfect  Freedom  lies 
through  the  Gate  of  Knowledge. 

All  outward  oppression  is  but  the  shadow  and 
effect  of  the  real  oppression  within.  For  ages 
the  oppressed  have  cried  for  liberty,  and  a 
thousand  man-made  statutes  have  failed  to  give 
it  to  them.  They  can  give  it  only  to  themselves ; 
they  shall  find  it  only  in  obedience  to  the  Divine 
Statutes  which  are  inscribed  upon  their  hearts. 
Let  them  resort  to  the  inward  Freedom,  and 
the  shadow  of  oppression  shall  no  more  darken 
the  earth.  Let  men  cease  to  oppress  themselves, 
and  no  man  shall  oppress  his  brother. 


62  The  Heavenly  Life 

Men  legislate  for  an  outward  freedom^  yet 
continue  to  render  such  freedom  impossible  of 
achievement  by  fostering  an  inward  condition 
of  enslavement.  They  thus  pursue  a  shadow 
without^  and  ignore  the  substance  within.  Man 
will  be  free  when  he  is  freed  from  self.  All 
outward  forms  of  bondage  and  oppression  will 
cease  to  be  when  man  ceases  to  be  the  willing 
bond-slave  of  passion,  error,  and  ignorance. 
Freedom  is  to  the  free. 

Whilst  men  cling  to  weakness  they  cannot 
have  strength;  whilst  they  love  darkness  they 
can  receive  no  light ;  and  so  long  as  they  prefer 
bondage  they  can  enjoy  no  liberty.  Strength, 
light,  and  freedom  are  ready  now,  and  can  be 
had  by  all  who  love  them,  who  aspire  to  them. 
Freedom  does  not  reside  in  co-operative  aggres- 
sion, for  this  will  always  produce,  reactively, 
30-operative  defence — warfare,  hatred,  party 
strife,  and  the  destruction  of  liberty.  Freedom 
resides  in  individual  self -conquest.  The  eman- 
cipation of  Humanity  is  frustrated  and  with- 
held by  the  self -enslavement  of  the  unit.     Thou 


The  Heavenly  Life  63 

who  criest  to  man  and  God  for  liberty,  liberate 
thyself!- 

The  Heavenly  Freedom  is  freedom  from  pas- 
sion, from  cravings,  from  opinions,  from  the 
tyranny  ^j  th^  flpftK^  ^-nrl  t^'^  tyrt^nny  of  the 
intellect — this  first,  and  then  all  outward  free- 


dom, as  effect  to  cause.  The  Freedom  that  be- 
gins within,  and  extends  outwardly  until  it  em- 
braces the  whole  man,  is  an  emancipation  so 
complete,  all-embracing,  and  perfect  as  to  leave 
no  galling  fetter  unbroken.  Free  thy  soul  from 
all  sin,  and  thou  shalt  walk  a  freed  and  fearless 
man  in  the  midst  of  a  world  of  fearful  slaves ; 
and,  seeing  thee,  many  slaves  shall  take  heart 
and  shall  join  thee  in  thy  glorious  freedom. 

Tie  who  says,  ^^My  worldly  duties  are  irk- 
some to  me ;  I  will  leave  them  and  go  into  soli- 
tude, where  I  shall  be  as  free  as  the  air,''  and 
thinks  to  gain  freedom  thus,  will  find  only  a 
harder  slavery.  The  tree  of  Freedom  is  rooted 
in  Duty,  and  he  who  would  pluck  its  sweet 
fruits  must  discover  joy  in  Duty.^ 

Glad-hearted,  calm,  and  ready  for  all  tasks 


G4  The  Heavenly  Life 

is  he  who  is  freed  from  self.  Irksomeness  and 
weariness  cannot  enter  his  hearty  and  his  divine 
strength  lightens  every  burden  so  that  its  weight 
is  not  felt.  He  does  not  run  away  from  Duty 
with  his  chains  about  him,  but  breaks  them  and 
stands  free. 

Make  thyself  pure ;  make  thyself  proof  against 
weakness,  temptation,  and  sin;  for  only  in 
thine  own  heart  and  mind  shalt  thou  find  that 
Perfect  Freedom  for  which  the  whole  world 
sighs  and  seeks  in  vain. 


The  Heavenly  Life  65 


GEEATNESS  AND  GOODNESS 

Goodness,  simplicity,  greatness — these  three 
are  one,  and  this  trinity  of  perfection  cannot  be 
separated.  All  greatness'  springs  from  good- 
ness, and  all  goodness  is  profoundly  simple. 
Without  goodness  there  is  no  greatness.  Some 
men  pass  through  the  world  as  destructive 
forces,  like  the  tornado  or  the  avalanche,  but 
they  are  not  great ;  they  are  to  greatness  as  the 
avalanche  is  to  the  mountain.  The  work  of 
greatness  is  enduring  and  preservative,  and  not 
violent  and  destructive.  The  greatest  souls  are 
the  most  gentle. 

Greatness  is  never  obtrusive.  It  works  in 
silence,  seeking  no  recognition.  This  is  why  it 
is  not  easily  perceived  and  recognized.  Like 
the  mountain,  it  towers  up  in  its  vastness,  so 
that  those  in  its  immediate  vicinity,  who  re- 
ceive its  shelter  and  shade,  do  not  see  it.     Its 


66  The  Heavenly  Life 

sublime  grandeur  is  only  beheld  as  they  recede 
from  it.  The  great  man  is  not  seen  by  his  con- 
temporaries; the  majesty  of  his  form  is  only 
outlined  by  its  recession  in  time.  This  is  the 
awe  and  enchantment  of  distance.  Men  occupy 
themselves  with  the  small  things;  their  houses, 
trees,  lands.  Few  contemplate  the  mountain 
at  whose  base  they  live,  and  fewer  still  essay  to 
explore  it.  But  in  the  distance  these  small 
things  disappear,  and  then  the  solitary  beauty 
of  the  mountain  is  perceived.  Popularity, 
noisy  obtrusiveness,  and  shallow  show,  these 
superficialities  rapidly  disappear,  and  leave  be- 
hind no  enduring  mark;  whereas  greatness 
slowly  emerges  from  obscurity,  and  endures  for 
ever. 

Jewish  Rabbi  and  rabble  alike  saw  not  the 
divine  beauty  of  Jesus;  they  saw  only  an  un- 
lettered carpenter.  To  his  acquaintances, 
Homer  w^as  only  a  blind  beggar,  but  the  cen- 
turies reveal  him  as  Homer  the  immortal  poet. 
Two  hundred  years  after  the  farmer  of  Strat- 
ford  (and  all  that  is  known  of  him)   has  dis- 


The  Heavenly  Life  67 

appeared,  the  real  Shakespeare  is  discerned. 
All  true  genius  is  impersonaL  It  be1oTi.(ys  not 
to  the  man  through  whom  it  is  manifested ;  it 
belongs  to  all.  It  is  a  diffusion  of  pure  Truth  ; 
jthe  Light  of  H^nveu  df^^ppu^liug  f>n  n11  mi^u- 
kind. 

Every  work  of  genius,  in  whatsoever  depart- 
yaent  of  art,  is  a  symbolic  manifestation  of  im- 
personal Truth.  It  is  universal,  and  finds  a 
response  in  every  heart  in  every  age  and  race. 
Anything  short  of  this  is  not  genius,  is  not 
greatness.  That  work  which  defends  a  religion 
perishes;  it  is  religion  that  lives.  Theories 
about  immortality  fade  away;  immortal  man 
endures ;  commentaries  upon  Truth  come  to  the 
dust;  Truth  alone  remains.  That  only  is  true 
in  art  which  represents  the  True;  that  only  is 
great  in  life  which  is  universally  and  eternally 
true.  And  the  True  is  the  Good;  the  Good  is 
the  True. 

Every  immortal  work  springs  from  the  Eter- 
nal Goodness  in  the  human  heart,  and  it  is 
clothed  with  the  sweet  and  unaffected  simplicity 


68  The  Heavenly  Life 

of  goodness.  The  greatest  art  is,  like  nature, 
artless.  It  knows  no  trick,  no  pose,  no  studied 
effort.  There  are  no  stage-tricks  in  Shake- 
speare; and  he  is  the  greatest  of  dramatists  be- 
cause he  is  the  simplest.  The  critics,  not  un- 
derstanding the  wise  simplicity  of  greatness, 
always  condemn  the  loftiest  work.  They  can- 
not discriminate  between  the  childish  and  the 
childlike.  The  True,  the  Beautiful,  the  Great, 
is  always  childlike,  and  is  perenially  fresh  and 
young. 

The  great  man  is  always  the  good  man ;  he  is 
always  simple.  He  draws  from,  nay,  lives  in, 
the  inexhaustible  fountain  of  divine  Goodness 
within;  he  inhabits  the  Heavenly  Places;  com- 
munes with  the  vanished  great  ones;  lives  with 
the  Invisible:  he  is  inspired,  and  breathes  the 
airs  of  Heaven. 

He  who  would  be  great  let  him  learn  to  be 
good.  He  will  therefore  become  great  by  not 
seeking  greatness.  Aiming  at  greatness  a  man 
arrives  at  nothingness;   aiming  at  nothingness 


The  Heavenly  Life  69 

he  arrives  at  greatness.  The  desire  to  be  great 
is  an  indication  of  littleness,  of  personal  vanity 
and  obtrusiveness.  The  willingness  to  disap- 
pear from  gaze,  the  utter  absence  of  self-ag- 
grandizement is  the  witness  of  greatness. 

Littleness  seeks  and  loves  authority.  Great- 
ness is  never  authoritative,  and  it  thereby  be- 
comes the  authority  to  which  the  after  ages  ap- 
peal. He  who  seeks,  loses;  he  who  is  willing 
to  lose,  wins  all  men.  Be  thy  simple  self,  thy 
better  self,  thy  impersonal  self,  and  lo !  thou  art 
great!  He  who  selfishly  seeks  authority  shall 
succeed  only  in  becoming  a  trembling  apologist 
courting  protection  behind  the  back  of  ac- 
knowledged greatness.  He  who  will  become  the 
servant  of  all  men,  desiring  no  personal  author- 
ity, shall  live  as  a  man,  and  shall  be  called 
great,  ^*^ Abide  in  the  simple  and  noble  regions 
of  thy  life,  obey  thy  heart,  and  thou  shalt  re- 
produce the  fore  world  again.''  Forget  thine 
own  little  self,  and  fall  back  upon  the  Universal 
self,  and  thou  shalt  reproduce,  in  living  and 
enduring  forms,   a  thousand  beautiful  experi- 


70  The  Heavenly  Life 

ences;  thou  shalt  find  within  thyself  that  sim- 
ple goodness  which  is  greatness. 

^^It  is  as  easy  to  be  great  as  to  be  small/'  says 
Emerson;  and  he  utters  a  profound  truth.  For- 
getfulness  of  self  is  the  whole  of  greatness,  as 
it  is  the  whole  of  goodness  and  happiness.  In 
a  fleeting  moment  of  self-forgetfulness  the 
smallest  soul  becomes  great;  extend  that  mo- 
ment indefinitely,  and  there  is  a  great  soul,  a 
great  life.  Cast  away  thy  personality  (thy 
petty  cravings,  vanities,  and  ambitions)  as  a 
worthless  garment,  and  dwell  in  the  loving,  com- 
passionate, selfless  regions  of  thy  soul,  and  thou 
art  no  longer  small — thou  art  great. 

Claiming  personal  authority,  a  man  descends 
into  littleness;  practising  goodness,  a  man 
ascends  into  greatness.  The  presumptuousness 
of  the  small  may,  for  a  time,  obscure  the  hu- 
mility of  the  great,  but  it  is  at  last  swallowed 
up  by  it,  as  the  noisy  river  is  lost  in  the  calm 
ocean. 

The  vulgarity  of  ignorance  and  the  pride  of 
learnmg  must  disappear"     Their  worthlessness 


The  Heavenly  Life  71 

is  equal.  They  have  no  part  in  the  Soul  of 
Goodness.  If  thou  wouldst  do,  thou  must  he. 
Thou  shalt  not  mistake  information  for  Knowl- 
edge; thou  must  know  thyself  as  pure  Knowl- 
edge. Thou  shalt  not  confuse  learning  with 
Wisdom ;  thou  must  apprehend  thyself  as  unde- 
filed  Wisdom. 

Wouldst  thou  write  a  living  book?  Thou 
must  first  live;  thou  shalt  draw  around  thee  the 
mystic  garment  of  a  manifold  experience,  and 
shalt  learn,  in  enjoyment  and  suffering,  glad- 
ness and  sorrow,  conquest  and  defeat,  that 
which  no  book  and  no  teacher  can  teach  thee. 
Thou  shalt  learn  of  life,  of  thy  soul ;  thou  shalt 
tread  the  Lonely  Road,  and  shalt  become;  thou 
shalt  be.  Thou  shalt  then  write  thy  book,  and 
it  shall  live ;  it  shall  be  more  than  a  book.  Let 
thy  book  first  live  in  thee,  then  shalt  thou  live 
in  thy  book. 

Wouldst  thou  carve  a  statue  that  shall  capti- 
vate the  ages,  or  paint  a  picture  that  shall  en- 
dure ?  Thou  shalt  acquaint  thyself  with  the 
divine  Beauty  within  thee.     Thou  shalt  com- 


72  The  Heavenly  Life 

prehend  and  adore  the  Invisible  Beauty;  thou 
shalt  know  the  Principles  which  are  the  soul  of 
Form;  thou  shalt  perceive  the  matchless  sym- 
metry and  faultless  proportions  of  Life,  of  Be- 
ing, of  the  Universe ;  thus  knowing  the  eternally 
True  thou  shalt  carve  or  paint  the  indescribably 
Beautiful. 

Wouldst  thou  produce  an  imperishable  poem  ? 
Thou  shalt  first  live  thy  poem ;  thou  shalt  think 
and  act  rhythmically ;  thou  shalt  find  the  never- 
failing  source  of  inspiration  in  the  loving  places 
of  thy  heart.  Then  shall  immortal  lines  flow 
from  thee  without  effort,  and,  as  the  flowers  of 
wood  and  field  spontaneously  spring,  so  shall 
beautiful  thoughts  grow  up  in  thine  heart  and, 
enshrined  in  words  as  moulds  to  their  beauty, 
shall  subdue  the  hearts  of  men. 

Wouldst  thou  compose  such  music  as  shall 
gladden  and  uplift  the  world  ?  Thou  shalt  ad- 
just thy  soul  to  the  Heavenly  Harmonies.  Thou 
shalt  know  that  thyself,  that  life  and  the  uni- 
verse is  Music.  Thou  shalt  touch  the  chords  of 
Life.      Thou  shalt  know  that  Music  is  every- 


The  Heavenly  Life  73 

where ;  that  it  is  the  Heart  of  Being ;  then  shalt 
thou  hear  with  thy  spiritual  ear  the  Deathless 
Symphonies. 

Wouldst  thou  preach  the  living  word  ?  Thou 
shalt  forego  thyself,  and  become  that  Word. 
Thou  shalt  know  one  thing — that  the  human 
heart  is  good,  is  divine;  thou  shalt  live  one 
thing — Love,  Thou  shalt  love  all,  seeing  no 
evil,  thinking  no  evil,  believing  no  evil;  then, 
though  thou  speak  but  little,  thy  every  act  shall 
be  a  power,  thy  every  word  a  precept.  By  thy 
pure  thought,  thy  selfless  deed,  though  it  appear 
hidden,  thou  shalt  preach,  down  the  ages,  to 
untold  multitudes  of  aspiring  souls. 

To  him  who  chooses  Goodness,  sacrificing  all, 
is  given  that  which  is  more  than  and  includes 
all.  He  becomes  the  possessor  of  the  Best,  com- 
munes with  the  Highest,  and  enters  the  com- 
pany of  the  Great. 

The  greatness  that  is  flawless,  rounded,  and 
complete  is  above  and  beyond  all  art.  It  is 
Perfect  Goodness  in  manifestation;  therefore 
the  greatest  souls  are  always  Teachers. 


74  The  Heavenly  Life 


HEAVEN  IN  THE  HEAKT 

The  toil  of  life  ceases  when  the  heart  is  pure. 
When  the  mind  is  harmonized  with  the  Divine 
Law  the  wheel  of  drudgery  ceases  to  turn,  and 
all  work  is  transmuted  into  joyful  activity. 
The  pure-hearted  are  as  the  lilies  of  the  field, 
which  toil  not,  yet  are  fed  and  clothed  from  the 
abundant  storehouse  of  the  All-Good.  But  the 
lily  is  not  lethargic;  it  is  ceaselessly  active, 
drawing  nourishment  from  earth  and  air  and 
sun.  By  the  Divine  Power  immanent  within 
it,  it  builds  itself  up,  cell  by  cell,  opening  itself 
to  the  light,  growing  and  expanding  towards 
the  perfect  flower.  So  is  it  with  those  who, 
having  yielded  up  self-will,  have  learned  to  co- 
operate with  the  Divine  Will.  They  grow  in 
grace,  goodness,  and  beauty,  freed  from  anx- 
iety, and  without  friction  and  toil.  And  they 
never  work  in  vain;  there  is  no  waste  action. 


The  Heavenly  Life  75 

Every  thought,  act,  and  thing  done  subserves 
the  Divine  Purpose,  and  adds  to  the  sum-total 
of  the  world's  happiness. 

Heaven  is  in  the  heart.  They  will  look  for  it 
in  vain  who  look  elsewhere.  In  no  outward  place 
will  the  soul  find  Heaven  until  it  finds  it  within 
itself;  for,  wherever  the  soul  goes,  its  thoughts 
and  desires  will  go  with  it;  and,  howsoever 
beautiful  may  be  its  outward  dwelling-place,  if 
there  is  sin  within,  there  will  be  darkness  and 
gloom  without,  for  sin  always  casts  a  dark 
shadow  over  the  pathway  of  the  soul — the 
shadow  of  sorrow. 

This  world  is  beautiful,  transcendently  and 
wonderfully  beautiful.  Its  beauties  and  inspir-  ^ 
ing  wonders  cannot  be  numbered;  yet,  to  the 
5iin-sodden  mind,  it  appears  as  a  dark  and  joy- 
less place.  Where  passion  and  self  are,  there 
is  hell,  and  there  are  all  the  pains  of  hell ;  where 
Holiness  and  Love  are,  there  is  Heaven,  and 
there  arc  all  the  joys  of  Heaven. 

Heaven  is  here.  It  is  also  everywhere.  It 
is  wherever  there  is  a  pure  heart.     The  whole 


76  The  Heavenly  Life 

universe  is  abounding  with  joy,  but  the  sin- 
bound  heart  can  neither  see,  hear,  nor  partake 
of  it.  No  one  is,  or  can  be,  arbitrarily  shut  out 
from  Heaven;  each  shuts  himself  out.  Its 
Golden  Gates  are  eternally  ajar,  but  the  selfish 
cannot  find  them ;  they  mourn,  yet  see  not ;  they 
cry,  but  hear  not.  Only  to  those  who  turn  their 
eyes  to  heavenly  things,  their  ears  to  heavenly 
sounds,  are  the  happy  Portals  of  the  Kingdom 
revealed,  and  they  enter  and  are  glad. 

All  life  is  gladness  when  the  heart  is  right, 
when  it  is  attuned  to  the  sweet  chords  of  holy 
Love.  Life  is  Religion,  Religion  is  life,  and  all 
is  Joy  and  Gladness.  The  jarring  notes  of 
creeds  and  parties,  the  black  shadows  of  sin, 
let  them  pass  away  for  ever;  they  cannot  enter 
the  Door  of  Life;  they  form  no  part  of  Re- 
ligion. Joy,  Music,  Beauty — these  belong  to 
the  True  Order  of  things;  they  are  of  the  tex- 
ture of  the  universe ;  of  these  is  the  divine  Gar- 
ment of  Life  woven.  Pure  Religion  is  glad,  not 
gloomy.  It  is  Light  without  darkness  or 
shadow* 


The  Heavenly  Life  77 

Despondency,  disappointment,  grief — these 
are  the  reflex  aspects  of  pleasurable  excitement, 
self-seeking,  and  desire.  Give  up  the  latter, 
and  the  former  will  for  ever  disappear;  then 
there  remains  the  perfect  Bliss  of  Heaven. 

Abounding  and  unalloyed  Happiness  is 
man's  true  life ;  perfect  Blessedness  is  his  right- 
ful portion ;  and  when  he  loses  his  false  life  and 
finds  the  true  he  enters  into  the  full  possession 
of  his  Kingdom.  The  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is 
man's  Home ;  and  it  is  here  and  now,  it  is  in  his 
own  heart,  and  he  is  not  left  without  Guides,  if 
he  wills  to  find  it.  All  man's  sorrows  and  suf- 
ferings are  the  result  of  his  own  self-elected 
estrangement  from  the  Divine  Source,  the  All- 
Good,  the  Father,  the  Heart  of  Love.  Let  him 
return  to  his  Home ;  his  peace  awaits  him. 

The  Heavenly-hearted  are  w^ithout  sorrow 
and  suffering,  because  they  are  without  sin. 
What  the  worldly-minded  call  troubles  they  re- 
gard as  pleasant  tasks  of  Love  and  Wisdom. 
Troubles  belong  to  hell ;  they  do  not  enter 
Heaven.    This  is  so  simple  it  should  not  appear 


78  The  Heavenly  Life 

strange.  If  you  have  a  trouble  it  is  in  your 
own  mind,  and  nowhere  else;  you  make  it,  it 
is  not  made  for  you;  it  is  not  in  your  task;  it 
is  not  in  that  outward  thing.  You  are  its  cre- 
ator, and  it  derives  its  life  from  you  only.  Look 
upon  all  your  difficulties  as  lessons  to  be 
learned,  as  aids  to  spiritual  growth,  and  lo! 
they  are  difficulties  no  longer !  This  is  one  of 
the  Pathways  up  to  Heaven. 

To  transmute  everything  into  Happiness  and 
Joy,  this  is  supremely  the  work  and  duty  of 
the  Heavenly-minded  man.  To  reduce  every- 
thing to  wretchedness  and  deprivation  is  the 
process  which  the  worldly-minded  unconsciously 
pursue.  To  live  in  Love  is  to  work  in  Joy. 
Love  is  the  magic  that  transforms  all  things 
into  power  and  beauty.  It  brings  plenty  out 
of  poverty,  power  out  of  weakness,  loveliness 
out  of  deformitv,  sweetness  out  of  bitterness, 
light  out  of  darkness,  and  produces  all  blissful 
conditions  out  of  its  own  substantial  but  inde- 
finable essence. 

He  who  loves  can  never  want.     The  universe 


The  Heavenly  Life  79 

belongs  to  Goodness,  and  it  therefore  belongs 
to  the  good  man.  It  can  be  possessed  by  all 
without  stint  or  shrinking,  for  Goodness,  and 
the  abundance  of  Goodness  (material,  mental, 
and  spiritual  abundance),  is  inexhaustible. 
Think  lovingly,  speak  lovingly,  act  lovingly, 
and  your  every  need  shall  be  supplied;  you 
shall  not  walk  in  desert  places,  and  no  danger 
shall  overtake  you. 

Love  sees  with  faultless  vision,  judges  true 
judgment,  acts  in  wisdom.  Look  through  the 
eyes  of  Love,  and  you  shall  see  everywhere  the 
Beautiful  and  True;  judge  with  the  mind  of 
Love,  and  you  shall  err  not,  shall  wake  no  wail 
of  sorrow;  act  in  the  spirit  of  Love,  and  you 
shall  strike  undying  harmonies  upon  the  Harp 
of  Life. 

Make  no  compromise  with  self.  Cease  not  to 
strive  until  your  whole  being  is  swallowed  up 
in  Love.  To  love  all  and  alwavs — this  is  the 
Heaven  of  heavens.  ^^Let  there  be  nothing 
within  thee  that  is  not  very  beautiful  and  very 
gentle,  and  then  will  there  be  nothing  without 


80  The  Heavenly  Life 

tliee  that  is  not  beautified  and  softened  by  the 
spell  of  thy  presence.'^  All  that  you  do,  let  it 
be  done  in  calm  wisdom^  and  not  from  desire, 
impulse,  or  opinion;  this  is  the  Heavenly  way 
of  action. 

Purify  your  thought-world  until  no  stain  is 
left,  and  you  will  ascend  into  Heaven  while 
living  in  the  body.  You  will  then  see  the  things 
of  the  outward  world  clothed  in  all  beautiful 
forms.  Having  found  the  Divine  Beauty 
within  ourselves,  it  springs  to  life  in  every  out- 
Avard  thing.  To  the  beautified  soul  the  world  is 
beautiful. 

Undeveloped  souls  are  merely  unopened  flow- 
ers. The  perfect  Beauty  lies  concealed  within, 
and  will  one  day  reveal  itself  to  the  full-orbed 
light  of  Heaven.  Seeing  men  thus,  we  stand 
where  evil  is  not,  and  where  the  eye  beholds 
only  good.  Herein  lies  the  peace  and  patience 
and  beauty  of  Love — it  sees  no  eviL  He  who 
loves  thus  becomes  the  protector  of  all  men. 
Though  in  their  ignorance  they  should  hate 
liim,  he  shields  and  loves  them, 


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iP^9zm 


INQV    2 


m 


i-jnggj 


NOVl 


ai 


Sf  P    {   8 


MAR  lb 


m 


NOV  1  h  20)4 


M^prrsTDii 


19» 


f^1' 


Dec  2  g 


^.MAYoa 


JUN 1  2   990 
ilB  t  6      "' 


^  9  TJ9T 


DEMCO   38-297